Best Time to Book Flights from Phoenix (2026 Data by Route)

The short answer

From Phoenix, January and February are the cheapest months to fly on almost every route we looked at. Costa Rica was the exception, where October and November came out cheapest. June and July are the most expensive on most domestic routes, and fall (September and October) is the priciest time for New York, Atlanta and Orlando.

For domestic flights, booking somewhere between 5 and 12 weeks ahead has usually landed the lowest fares. Boston was an outlier at around 23 weeks. For Europe and Hawaii the window is wider and less predictable, from about 5 weeks (Paris, Honolulu) to 25 weeks or more (London, Kona).

Route by route

Cheapest and most expensive months are based on median round-trip fares over the past 12 months. "Book ahead" is how far before departure fares were lowest on average.

From PHX to	Cheapest month	Most expensive	Book ahead
Las Vegas	February	July and June	about 10 weeks
Chicago	February	July and June	about 6 weeks
Denver	February	July and June	about 7 weeks
New York	January	October and September	about 5 weeks
Seattle	January	July and June	about 9 weeks
Dallas	February	June and July	about 11 weeks
San Diego	February	June and July	about 7 weeks
Los Angeles	January	September and July	about 5 weeks
San Francisco	February	September and June	about 9 weeks
Boston	February	July and September	about 23 weeks
Miami	January	June and October	about 10 weeks
Orlando	February	September and June	about 12 weeks
Atlanta	January	September and June	about 6 weeks
Nashville	February	June and March	about 6 weeks
Portland	January	June and July	about 6 weeks
Honolulu	February	June and July	about 5 weeks
Maui	February	July and June	about 16 weeks
Kona	February	June and July	about 26 weeks
Cancún	January	November and September	about 6 weeks
Los Cabos	February	June and September	about 19 weeks
Puerto Vallarta	January and February	June and July	about 4 weeks
Mexico City	February	December and October	about 16 weeks
Vancouver	February	September and May	about 18 weeks
London	January	June and May	about 25 weeks
Paris	January	June and May	about 5 weeks
Tokyo	January	July and June	about 17 weeks
Costa Rica	November	August and December	varies by airport
Guadalajara	February	December and June	about 15 weeks
Hermosillo	April	September and August
Mazatlán	February	December and October	about 21 weeks
Culiacán	March	May and December
Toronto	March	December and September	about 23 weeks
Calgary	October	March and July	about 9 weeks

What the national numbers say

Expedia's 2026 Air Hacks report found that booking US domestic flights 15 to 30 days out saved about $130 compared with booking six months or more ahead, and that January was the cheapest month for domestic travel, about 19% below December. It also found Tuesday was the cheapest day to fly and Sunday the most expensive. Route data for Phoenix to Las Vegas shows the same pattern: Tuesday has been about 24% below average and Friday the most expensive.

The route windows above are longer than Expedia's 15 to 30 days for many cities. Treat both as a guide, not a rule: the real savings come from catching a fare that is well below normal for your route and dates, whenever it appears.

Five things that actually save money from PHX

Fly in January or February. It is the cheapest time on 26 of the 27 routes in the table, and Phoenix weather makes it an easy time to leave anyway.
Check every airport. LA has five airports with PHX nonstops, the Bay Area three, Dallas and Chicago two each. Love Field, Midway, Burbank and Long Beach are Southwest territory and price differently from the big hubs.
Fly midweek. Tuesday and Wednesday departures are usually cheaper than Friday and Sunday.
Book early for summer and holidays. Fares for June, July and the year-end holidays rarely drop late.
Watch for drops instead of guessing. Fares move daily. We check fares from PHX every morning against Google Flights' typical price for the same dates and only send ones at least 20% below it.

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Questions

What is the cheapest month to fly out of Phoenix?

January or February on almost every route. Of 27 popular routes from PHX, 26 had their lowest median fares in January or February. Costa Rica was the exception (October and November).

How far in advance should I book a flight from Phoenix?

For most domestic routes, about 5 to 12 weeks ahead has given the lowest average fares. Boston, Hawaii and Europe often reward booking further out, up to about 6 months.

What day is cheapest to fly from Phoenix?

Tuesday is usually cheapest and Friday or Sunday most expensive. On Phoenix to Las Vegas, Tuesday fares have run about 24% below average.

When are flights from Phoenix most expensive?

June and July on most domestic and Hawaii routes. For New York, Atlanta and Orlando, September or October has been the most expensive month.

Sources: KAYAK route data for each route (median round-trip fares, past 12 months, checked October 2026); Expedia 2026 Air Hacks report (US domestic).